Ducks Acquire Defenseman Grant From Pittsburgh In Exchange For Left Wing Zolnierczyk

Ducks Acquire Defenseman Grant From Pittsburgh In Exchange For Left Wing Zolnierczykfalse

The Ducks have acquired defenseman Alex Grant from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for left wing Harry Zolnierczyk.

Grant, 24 (1/20/89), appeared in 46 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2012-13. The 6-3, 200-pound blueliner earned 4-16=20 points with 73 penalty minutes (PIM), while pacing team defensemen in points-per-game (.43). He helped lead Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to the Eastern Conference Final in the 2013 Calder Cup Playoffs, collecting 2-2=4 points with 27 PIM in 13 games.

Selected by Pittsburgh in the fourth round (118th overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Grant has scored 17-45=62 points with a +8 rating and 174 PIM in 125 career AHL games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. He ranked third among AHL rookies and tied for fourth among league defensemen in power-play points (7-20=27) in 2011-12, while setting career highs in goals (10), assists (27), points (37) and appearances (61).

Zolnierczyk, 25 (9/1/87), was acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for left wing Jay Rosehill on Apr. 1, 2013 and appeared in nine games with Norfolk (AHL), scoring 2-0=2 points with 14 PIM. Zolnierczyk began the season with Adirondack (AHL), earning 9-8=17 points with 54 PIM in 52 games. He also played seven games for the Flyers in 2012-13, collecting one assist (0-1=1) with 36 PIM.